Neon Lights

Collections of Signs for Fun and Funny Signs

Sometimes signs are made with the intent of
having a clever message and sometimes part of
neon lights go out and the sign forms its own clever message.
Before we get into some of the important issues involving safety and responsible
usage of signs, lets take a look at the lighter side of neon lights and some
clever messages displayed on church signs around the country. Please click on
this link to visit our page of links to various clever and comical signs:

Why Invest In A Neon Light Sign?

Probably the best
reason to buy a neon light sign is for return on investment. There is
probably no better form of advertising than a neon light to give you a good
return on your investment. If you advertise in the newspaper or on the radio,
the ad will be over and forgotten about unless you keep repeating the newspaper
or radio ad. Of course that would become very expensive. Neon lights, on
the other hand, represent a one-time expenditure. You put it in your window and
you can use it to attract customers for the next 30 years. Many Internet
companies are familiar with PPC advertisements. Many of you know that these
little 25-cent per click ads can mount up to thousands of dollars per month.
Each and every month thereafter you had better restock the budget for another
round of PPC ads. When you consider the many other forms of advertising and the
ongoing costs associated with them, is it any wonder that a $200 or $400 outlay
for a neon sign that will last 30 years makes good sense as an investment?

Neon And LED Sign
Options

When it comes to
signage, nothing compares in brightness to Neon Signs and LED
signs. They definitely leave a lasting impression on potential
customers. While neon signs are the most traditional with the solid glass tubes,
the Neon lights
have become very popular in recent years. Many of the signs in big cities like
Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles have converted over to LED signs in recent
years. Since LED light bulbs can be individually programmed, it allows for LED
designers to create animated LED signs. These animated LED
signs offer many advantages over neon signs for versatility including the flashing neon signs.

Safety Issues with Neon Lights

Neon lights are an extremely important form of
advertising. There are very few methods of advertising that can compete with
these signs for cost effectiveness. There are, however, some safety issues to
consider. Neon signs are electrical. They are not just electrical but
high voltage electric. While they do not draw a tremendous amount of current
from your electrical outlet, the transformer boosts the voltage to 12,000 -
15,000 volts. That kind of voltage is needed to make neon gas glow. It probably
isn’t hard to imagine that that kind of voltage will make you glow, too! It is
for that reason you want to order your signs from reputable US-based companies
so that you get good quality, safety-inspected wiring and transformers.

You want to make sure that your sign has UL approved (and
inspected) transformers. These transformers have built-in safety features like
circuit breakers. Most signs that you purchase over the Internet come with the
transformers attached to the sign. This is the best way for most people to buy
neon signage. If you need to put your transformer somewhere other than having it
attached to the sign, it is best to have an electrician do the wiring. It might
look simple, but it can be a little more complicated than you think. Even though
you are paying an electrician a few dollars for what looks like an easy project,
you are, in fact, paying him for what he knows. You are also paying him to avoid
mistakes like crossing these high voltage lines during installation, which could
cause a fire.

As stated earlier, most neon signs come with the
transformer attached. This is very safe as long as it is UL approved. When
ordering a neon sign, be sure to ask the company where the sign was made. Please
note that you are not asking where the company is located or where the sign is
actually located at this point. They may well both be here in the USA. Your
question is “where was the sign built?” Was it built in the continental USA or
in some factory overseas with low-quality materials and low labor costs? I am
not saying overseas workers are not skilled, but many products imported into
this country are found to have problems years later. Remember the drywall
issues? Many people discovered the drywall that they built their homes and
condo’s with was imported from China and emitted a chemical vapor that is
hazardous to humans’ health. Ask if the sign was completely manufactured here in
the USA. Insist on quality.

For too many years, the USA has exported jobs to other
countries. We need to realize that a rich country needs to make wealth by
manufacture things and do away with the “smoke and mirrors” before we are
totally bankrupt. We close 30,000 factories, borrow money to buy imports, and
then act baffled when we have a "jobless recovery".

Neon Lights Border Tubing

Many times customers like to accessorize their windows with
neon light border tubing. This can add a lot of color and brightness to a
window. In a way, it is like turning your entire window into a neon sign. As we
have recommended in previous articles, please call an electrician or a qualified
local sign shop to do this work. Neon signs and border tubing does not draw a
tremendous amount of current from your electrical outlet, but the transformer,
however, will boost the voltage to 12,000 - 15,000 volts. That kind of voltage
is needed to make neon gas glow. It probably isn’t hard to imagine that kind of
voltage will make you glow too! In addition to the safety risks associated with
neon light border tubing installation, you have local zoning issues. It is for
these reasons that we recommend you contact a local sign shop from the Yellow
Pages of your phone book for proper installation of neon border tubing.

Outdoor Neon Signs And Outdoor LED Signs

Keep in mind that most signs sold over the Internet are for
indoor use. Even if you have an outside area that is partially sheltered, you
can’t just hang the sign there. While cold temperatures are not a big factor,
moisture and wind are big factors. Remember that even slight jarring can damage
neon glass. Essentially, the sign is ruined if you break the glass. Replacing
the glass is the bulk of the cost of the neon sign. Also, the electrical
components used for indoor signs are not designed to withstand moisture. Outdoor neon signsare built with heavier-duty weather-resistant material.
They cost more, but they are built for the purpose they were intended for. If
you decide to get an outdoor neon sign or an outdoor LED sign, you will
need to have it “hard wired”. This means your outdoor neon sign does not come
with an electrical plug to plug into a standard or outdoor electrical outlet.
They have to be wired to a circuit box like an outdoor security light would be.
If you are not familiar with this kind of installation, you should get an
electrician, or better yet, a local sign company to install your outdoor neon
sign. A local neon sign company will be more familiar with local zoning
requirements for signage and may even know the zoning inspector (which never
hurts). In short, a local neon sign shop can help you with wiring and zoning
issues. If you want to save a few dollars, however, you can have outdoor signs
shipped to you by Internet companies. This will normally result in cost savings
on the sign, but then you will need to install it. If you are going to do the
work yourself or hire an electrician, be sure to give your local zoning dept. a
call before purchasing your sign. Most local municipalities do regulate outdoor
signage to some degree. Most (but not all) municipalities do not regulate indoor
signage. It is safest to give your local zoning office a call just so you know
the hometown rules.

Decorate With Neon
Clocks And Neon Sculptures

When it comes to
decorating the garage, basement, game room, don't forget
neon clocks. They accessorizes and brighten up many rooms that
might be too dark. Don't forget neon sculptures in that man cave. We also
carry a nice man cave neon clock.

Neon Lights – Uses And
Applications

Neon
lights are a wonderful way to add impact and effectiveness to a wide variety
of advertising, communication and decorative purposes. They have been used in
all kinds of ways. We’ll discuss some of these applications here.

Because of the unique use of neon lights to form letters or
words, they can provide a very effective way to communicate messages. For
example, neon signs
can announce that a business is either open or closed. In some cases, the sign
can be produced with neon lights that form both of these words on the same
sign. The power can be applied to one word or the other at any given time so
that one sign can be used for both purposes.

Neon lights
like this can be produced in many different colors. There is a great deal of
variety and choices when it comes to style and size. There are also
standardized neon lights for many other kinds of applications. For example, some
lights are used to promote different products. A common use of neon lights is
to promote a particular brand of beer. Many neon lights have been used for this
purpose over the years. Some of the signs have even become collector’s items
due to their beauty and rarity.

Neon lights like these can often be found in bars and
restaurants and they have been produced to illuminate the brand with a short
message. They have been produced in many different languages. The great thing
about neon lighting is that the tubes can be formed to create all kinds of
shapes and letters. This provides it great flexibility in achieving the desired
look.

Neon lights are used extensively to provide a great deal of
focus and attention to buildings in the use of a marquee. You can find
impressive marquees at the front of theatres or used in hotels to help light up
the reception area and bring attention to the structure. These marquees can use
many lights and they can also provide interesting colors and a sense of movement
depending on how the different lights are actuated.

These products can also be customized to a customer’s
individual preferences. The lights can illuminate a special message or can be
used for a particular application.

Some neon lights are designed for outdoor use and must
therefore be made water and weather resistant. Whether the sign is built for
indoor or outdoor use, they are electrical devices and they must be produced in
a careful and safe manner to help ensure that there are no problems.

To get a good idea of the wide variety and type of neon
lights available, check out some of the websites of online stores like
NeonSignWorld.com who specialize in
these products. You’ll find hundreds of choices for a product that is ideal for
your particular needs and desires.